With the matches Real Madrid vs. Salzburg and Al Hilal vs. Pachuca, the curtain has fallen on the group stage of the Club World Cup. This means the number of participants has been cut in half. Sixteen teams — mostly unfit for the round of 16 — have either returned home or are on their way, while the remaining sixteen stay in the U.S., still dreaming of lifting the trophy.And while the round of 16 matchups might not seem particularly thrilling at first glance — aside from the big clash between Real Madrid and Juventus (though the Old Lady is nowhere near the strength of the Del Piero era, when the Bernabeu gave him a standing ovation) — there are plenty of intriguing duels lurking beneath the surface.Round of 16: Locked in. 🔐#FIFACWC pic.twitter.com/p0Lf6XIH6r— FIFA Club World Cup (@FIFACWC) June 27, 2025 The matchups Palmeiras vs. Botafogo, Benfica vs. Chelsea, Inter vs. Fluminense, and Manchester City vs. Al Hilal make up the top half of the bracket, meaning one of those teams will reach the final. Interestingly, Chelsea, Benfica, Botafogo, or Palmeiras will be one of the semifinalists. The other finalist will come from the bottom half, featuring PSG vs. Inter Miami, Flamengo vs. Bayern, Real Madrid vs. Juventus, and Borussia Dortmund vs. Monterrey.The quarterfinals could really explode, with the possibility of three Champions League final rematches: potentially Inter vs. Manchester City (2023 final), Real Madrid vs. Dortmund (2024 final), and Bayern vs. PSG (2020 final).Palmeiras ✅Fluminense ✅Flamengo ✅Botafogo ✅All four Brazilian sides have qualified for the knockout stages at the FIFA Club World Cup 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/6m5zUcKeHh— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) June 25, 2025 Brazil is guaranteed to have at least one representative among the final eight — and if a miracle happens, maybe even three. Inter hasn’t impressed in the group stage and certainly won’t breeze past Fluminense, while Flamengo, the most powerful and expensive team in South America, showed a high footballing level — though whether it’s enough to trouble Bayern remains to be seen.Borussia Dortmund struggled in the group stage against both Mamelodi and Fluminense, so they don’t look like they’ll cruise past Monterrey, who boast a massive fan base in the U.S. PSG will face Lionel Messi, their former star, now with Inter Miami. The Benfica vs. Chelsea tie is wide open, while City and Real are favorites against Al Hilal and Juventus, respectively.FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP 2025Matchday 3FridayAl Hilal – Pachuca 2-0 (1-0)/Al-Dawsari 22, Leonardo 90+5/Salzburg – Real Madrid 0-3 (0-2)/Vinicius 40, Valverde 45+3, Garcia 84/
